A Face from the Past part 3 1pm2pm
by Little Si
Summary: The most action packed hour yet!


The following takes place  
between 1pm and 2pm....  
  
Events occur in real time...  
  
1:00. Los Angeles.  
  
In the back of the old church, Alex relaxes his grip as the guard's struggling begins to die down, until eventually, he lies motionless on the cold tiles, surrounded by his own blood. Alex drops the bloody can onto the floor and leans back against the cubicle, visibly drained. He knows he has to stay alert, but it becomes more of a struggle with every passing minute. His torture has clearly left him in a weakened state. After a moment, Alex forces himself to stand, keeping an eye on the door, expecting back-up to burst in any minute. It never comes, no-one heard his escape. However, he has no idea how long it will be before Lawrence feels like another round. Quickly, Alex collects the dead mercenaries' gun and checks that there is a shot in the chamber. He tucks the gun into his waistband and searches for the man's cellphone, eventually retrieving it from his jacket pocket. Alex stumbles over to the sinks and leans on them for support, making sure he has a clear shot of the door should anyone decide to pay him a visit. He begins to dial on the phone...  
  
Counter Terrorist Unit.  
  
At CTU, Russell is busy with Michelle attempting to get a location for the number Jack gave them. Russell lets Michelle know that they are closing in, they should have an address in the next couple of minutes. She asks how far away from Diaz's apartment Jack's back-up is and he informs her that they should be there in about 10 minutes. They have been told to wait for Jack before they go in. The team will also liaise directly with the LAPD, who spotted the vehicle. As they talk, another employee tells Michelle that she has an incoming call at her station. Not wanting to be distracted from her work with Russell, she tells the man to answer it himself and goes back to running the passive triangulation on the cell number. Chappelle heads over to join them, telling them that Division are demanding an update right now, they need to know that he is on top of this. Before Michelle can brief him on their current leads, the employee who answered the phone calls over and tells her it is Alex! She immediately tells him to patch it over to Russell's station and switches the phone on to speaker. Chappelle listens closely to the conversation. Michelle asks Alex if he is alright to which he replies that he is fine. Dean and the mercenaries have been holding him hostage but he has managed to kill the guard who was watching him and get ahold of his phone. The men are using an old church as a base and he is still inside. Alex gives them the address and Chappelle orders Russell to mobilise back-up straight away. Russell rushes off to take care of it as Alex continues. He tells Michelle that Dean left with the terrorists over an hour ago. He is unsure as to the full extent of what is going on but he believes that they are working together. Michelle tells him they already know. Jack found out that they have made some kind of deal with Gutierrez and that it involves an associate of his named Diaz. Jack is on the way over to his apartment now. They also have a number on Gutierrez that they are trying to trace. Alex asks if Tony is there and Michelle says he is off-site. He and Agent Goodrich managed to locate a militia group connected to Slater. It appears these men have been watching Gutierrez and his people closely. Alex wonders what this could mean and is told they are waiting to interrogate the militia leader who was injured during the arrest. At that point, Russell returns to say he has mobilised two tactical teams from CTU. Their current ETA to Alex's location is approximately 20 minutes. Alex orders them to hurry as he doesn't know how much longer it will be before it is discovered that he has escaped. Michelle tells him to hold on. They are coming. She hangs up....  
  
Alex puts the phone into his pocket and stands ready with the gun, wondering what he should do. There's no way he can just shoot his way out, he has no idea how many more mercenaries there are, and the odds of CTU getting there before they come back for him are limited at best. As he thinks, he spots the old grate in the wall covering a darkened window and makes a decision. He puts away the gun and takes a look at the state the grate is in. It looks worn and old, not very secure at all. Alex takes hold of the wire mesh and attempts to pull it out of the wall......  
  
1:04  
  
The derelict building used to house Breeson and his men, has now been completely cordoned off by the CTU personnel, a bomb squad are handling the explosives and forensics flood the area. Tony is on the phone with two IT personnel from CTU headquarters, as they attempt to access the data recovered from Breeson's computer files. Although a lot of it has been erased, there is still a small cache of information they were not able to get rid of before the raid. The only problem is, CTU are unable to get into it at this time. It would take them a couple of hours at most. Tony insists that that is time they simply don't have and that they should do what they can. He hangs up as Agent Hughes approaches. He is worried that Tony and his people have compromised his operation but Tony reminds him that a copy of any evidence they gain from this will be forwarded to his office for analysis. He is grateful for the man's co-operation so far, especially as he's kept him for the most part in the dark, and claims that he would never have done this under normal circumstances. However, right now they are racing the clock as one of their people is in danger. Hughes says he understands but that he can only keep his director at bay for so long. Tony assures him this will all be over soon and that once it is, he intends to have a full briefing with their office in order to clear up everything that has transpired. They will then be allowed access to whatever intel they need. Hughes goes to update his director but before he does, Tony asks if he has any idea as to how Breeson could have gained access to these kinds of explosives. Unfortunately, Hughes is unable to shed any light on this and leaves. As he goes, Tony is joined by one of the medics who lets him know that he can talk to Breeson now if he wants......  
  
1:05  
  
Tony approaches Breeson who is currently restrained on a stretcher. His leg has been patched up temporarily. Breeson curses Tony as soon as he arrives, telling him not to waste any time talking to him as he will give up no information. Tony calmly looks him over and asks why he has been watching Gutierrez's crew. Breeson remains silent. Tony gets angry, he leans in close and whispers that Mark Lawrence, the man he knows Breeson works for, is holding a friend of his captive, and if anything should happen to him which he could have stopped, then he will ensure Breeson is held responsible. The man laughs, asking if that was supposed to scare him.... Before Tony can continue, his cell phone rings and he is forced to answer it. It's Russell. He tells Tony that Alex managed to get ahold of a phone and give them his location. He made the call a couple of minutes ago. Dean and the terrorists are no longer with him but two tactical teams have been dispatched already. They'll be there by around 1:25. Tony thinks he can get there faster if he leaves now. He tells Russell that he is going to send Breeson over to CTU for interrogation, and that they should have Richards standing by when he gets there. He won't be easy to break.... Russell says he will get right on it and asks if there's anything else. Tony says there is, it doesn't look like the IT people are going to be able to access those computer files any time soon. He wants Milo Pressman brought in right away to help them. Tony also asks for an update on Jack, and is told by Russell that he is on his way to the apartment of a man they believe is involved with the deal made between the mercenaries and the terrorists. With that, Tony hangs up and radios agent Goodrich. They are leaving now, CTU have a fix on Alex.......  
  
1:06  
  
Diaz removes a CD from a hidden safe in his apartment and hands it over to Raul. He says everything they need is on there. Raul thanks him, and Diaz tells him to leave now that he has what he wants. He doesn't want to take any chances since he found out about Bauer and has decided to lie low for a couple of days. Raul quickly tells him that he's not going anywhere, Gutierrez wants him to go with them. Diaz refuses, saying he has no idea what has been going on but that whatever it is is dangerous, he does not want to be involved. Raul tells him he has no choice. The meeting goes down in just over 40 minutes. They must leave now. Diaz watches nervously as one of Raul's men cocks his gun.....  
Outside, the patrol car has parked about a block away, in a narrow side alley leading off of a small housing estate. The two cops continue to watch the building closely as two CTU vehicles pull into the estate behind them. The agents climb out, led by Agent Tom Baker, a man who worked closely with Jack during the nuclear bomb threat. Baker approaches the officers and asks for a situation report: No-one has gone in or out since they made the vehicle ID. They are keen to know if they are going to go in, but Baker claims they must wait for another of their agents to get here first. The officers are confused but Baker is insistent. He details his men to start setting up surveillance on the apartment block and takes out his phone.  
Jack meanwhile, is still travelling to Diaz's place. Baker gets through to his cellphone and lets him know they just arrived and are setting up now. Jack advises that he is another 15 minutes away at least. Baker states that so far no-one has been in or out. Jack thanks him and ends the call, as Baker hands out surveillance pictures of Raul and some of his men to the other agents......  
  
1:07  
  
Corporal Hunt is busy ordering some of the mercenaries to set up a perimeter around the site where the meeting is due to be held. Lawrence watches, when his phone starts to ring. On the other end, is one of the men who had previously been watching Diaz's apartment for Breeson. He nervously tells Lawrence that they just found out Breeson was arrested by CTU agents, along with the rest of the men who were with him. It is believed the explosives were seized as well during the arrest. Lawrence wants to know how concrete his information is and the man claims it is 100%. He just sent one of his people to do a drive-by of the derelict building after he was unable to contact anyone there, it was swarming with cops. Lawrence asks where he is now and the man claims he was forced to leave the apartment when they spotted CTU personnel arriving. The area is way too hot. Lawrence is angry, even more so when he is told that the apartment block appears to be where the files have been held. The men they've been searching for just got there, presumably to collect them. Lawrence is insistent that CTU cannot be allowed to recover the files, they must find a way to get to them first, whatever it takes. The man believes this to be impossible, he has only four men after all. Lawrence simply orders him to get it done and hangs up before approaching Hunt. Slowly, he takes him through what he has just been told. Although disturbed somewhat, Hunt believes all they can do is move forward with the plan. Lawrence wants to know how that is possible, they needed those explosives for the bombing. Hunt claims they have enough in storage to complete their mission. All it will take is a few calls. Lawrence is still pissed, this whole thing has been going downhill since the events at the warehouse. CTU is causing them some serious problems. He goes to call Dean as Hunt thinks about what he has just said. After a pause, he approaches a lone mercenary and tells him to kill Alex. The man is taken aback, Dean wanted him alive. However, Hunt tells him to do as he is told. Their mission is already in jeopardy, the last thing they need is extra baggage weighing them down, Alex must die now. The mercenary leaves to take care of it......  
  
1:09  
  
Lawrence gets ahold of two mercenaries and tells them to head over to Diaz's address. They need to help secure the files. He gives them the number of his man on-site so they can arrange to meet at the location. As they go to leave, Lawrence takes out his phone.  
Back inside, the mercenary sent by Hunt to kill Alex arrives at the toilets. There is a man watching the door, which has been locked. He tells him to open it right away, they are going to kill the agent. The doorman complies and the mercenary draws his weapon. He bursts into the toilets to be greeted by the bloody corpse of the guard, and an empty cubicle. The grate lies on the floor and the window has been dislodged from it's frame. Alex is gone. The mercenary immediately goes for his radio as the doorman rushes out of the church shouting. The mercenary tells Hunt that the hostage has escaped. As he relays this information, he crosses over to the guard's body and searches his clothing. He informs Hunt that the man's gun and phone are both missing. Alex has probably called for help. Hunt is not happy and tells his men that they must clear out now, CTU is on the way!  
Outside, Alex has taken cover next to an old building adjacent to the church. He can hear the mercenaries shouting and realises that his escape has been discovered. He readies his weapon and moves off.  
Amidst the chaos, Lawrence is on the phone with Dean to tell him about his militia. Slater barely has a chance to take this in before Lawrence is alerted to the escape and the probability of the call for back-up. Lawrence relays all this to Dean who does not take it very well. He orders the sergeant to clear this up now and to find Alex! Lawrence hangs up to take care of it as Hunt co-ordinates a search of the area, and the men Lawrence sent to Diaz's drive off in a van.  
They speed down the gravel driveway when, from nowhere, Alex leaps out in front of them and fires two shots into the passenger. The driver veers the van off of the path where he is forced to halt, in an effort to avoid the gunfire. Lawrence and the others hear the shots and take off in the direction of their origin......  
Before they can get there, Alex forces open the passenger door of the van and takes the place of the now dead soldier. The stunned driver has no time to react and raises his hands in surrender. Alex puts the gun to his head and shouts for him to get out of there. Not wanting to get his head blown off, the man puts his foot down and the van speeds away. The back windows shatter as Hunt fires after them, filling the chassis with bullet holes. In the end however, it is to no avail, as the van hits the road and drives off.....  
  
1:11:38 1:11:39 1:11:40.....  
  
1:15:54 1:15:55 1:15:56 1:15:57....  
  
The van continues to speed down the road and Alex orders the driver to turn left into a parking garage up ahead. He complies and the vehicle screeches to a halt, littered with bullet holes. Alex, keeping the gun firmly levelled at the man, jumps out and moves around to the driver's side. He tells the driver to keep his hands raised and to step out of the vehicle. Once out, Alex slams the man into the side of the van and drags him around to the back, knocking him out cold with the butt of his gun. He forces the mercenaries' unconscious form inside and closes the rear doors. He then moves back around to the front, climbs into the driver's seat and reverses back out onto the road. Alex pulls out the guard's cellphone once again and dials as he speeds off......  
  
CTU HQ.  
  
Russell is on the line with the tac teams attempting to get an update on their progress. They say they are around 10 minutes away from the old church and Russell informs them that Agent Almeida has gone on ahead accompanied by Goodrich's team. They'll arrive at the address in the next couple of minutes. He finishes the call as Michelle comes over to let him know that Milo is en route like Tony asked. Just then, Alex gets through to Russell's line. He tells him that he has escaped from the church and that the mercenaries know they are coming. They had already begun clearing out when he left which means they don't have a lot of time left to intercept them. Russell assures him that Tony will be there any minute, and orders Alex to get back to CTU as soon as possible. Alex says he will be there in around about 20 minutes, and that he has one of the mercenaries hostage. Michelle says she will prepare a holding room for him.....  
  
Chappelle has just finished talking with Brad Hammond when Michelle rushes over. She lets him know that Alex has escaped and is on his way back now. Tony and Goodrich will have the mercenaries soon. Chappelle is pleased.....  
  
Back at the church, Hunt watches as the mercenaries get the last of the equipment loaded onto the vans. He is nervous and keen to leave in a hurry. Lawrence is back on the phone with Dean. Slater curses him for letting Alex escape, now CTU are onto them the entire mission is at stake. Lawrence believes that Dean should have just killed Alex when he had the chance, then none of this would have happened. Dean snaps at this, telling Lawrence that he works for him, not the other way around. His sister is dead because of Alex, she bled to death at the side of the road for 2 hours. There's no way he would give Alex the luxury of a quick death after that. Lawrence claims this no longer matters, all they need to do now is ensure everything gets back on track without further delay. Hunt believes he can get hold of the explosives they need for the mission, which, combined with what they were holding at the church, should be enough to go ahead with the bombing. All that's left after that is to make sure his militia get hold of the files. Dean is appeased slightly, saying that as soon as they can get rid of the terrorists the better. He hangs up....  
  
1:18  
  
Meanwhile, Tony and Goodrich are seconds away. As they drive toward the church, Tony speaks with Russell on the phone. Russell informs him that Alex has escaped and that the mercenaries are in the process of clearing out. Tony thanks him and lets the field team know over the radio that their friendly is no longer on-site. Their primary objective now is the mercenaries. He stresses that they need these people alive.....  
Back at the church, the mercenaries are ready to go. Lawrence tells Hunt that he will take some men and head straight for the meeting point. Hunt should wait for him at their arranged rendezvous. Suddenly, a CTU chopper sweeps overhead and a convoy of SUV's turn into the driveway. They've been found! Lawrence tells Hunt to get out now. As Hunt gets into one of the van's, Lawrence is told by a mercenary that CTU vehicles have surrounded the site. Lawrence is pissed off. The helo sweeps down low as some of the mercenaries open fire in the direction of the convoy. Tony orders Goodrich to pull over and the other vehicles follow suit, stretching out across the driveway so as to block the exit of the vans. Tony and the field team leap out and return fire, using the cars for cover. Hunt realises they are trapped and joins the others in trying to shoot their way out. A sniper fires down on them from the helicopter, taking out 3 men in one sweep. More mercenaries try to take it down but the chopper flies back up over the church out of range. Lawrence shelters behind a van and takes out his phone, desperately trying to reach Slater. As he dials, some of the men begin to retreat back into the building. Two of them are killed by the field team as they make a run for it. Hunt hurls a grenade in the direction of the convoy and watches as it detonates, taking out one of the vehicles and seriously wounding one of the CTU agents. Goodrich orders his men to advance and they push the mercenaries back into the church. More agents take up positions around the building to ensure no-one leaves, while Lawrence and another mercenary leap into a van and attempt to drive out. As they go, Slater answers Lawrence's call just in time for him to convey what's happened, before Tony and Goodrich shoot out the rear tyres. The van swerves out of control and into a fence, jolting the driver forward into the steering wheel. The impact knocks him out.  
Inside the church, Hunt tries to get the men to secure their position, but CTU teams have already made their way in through the back and ambush the mercenaries. A huge firefight erupts inside the old church and Hunt dives for cover. The agents begin to lay down smoke grenades......  
Outside, Lawrence stumbles from the van, gun in hand, as Tony approaches, ordering him to drop his weapon. Lawrence is dazed and looks at the agent. Tony repeats his order, he doesn't want to shoot but he will if he has to. Lawrence simply lifts the gun, forcing Tony to pull the trigger. The shot hits Lawrence squarely in the chest, dropping him instantly. Goodrich rushes forward and secures his weapon. Gunfire can still be heard from inside and Tony orders all remaining agents to launch a full assault. As he moves in, the CTU chopper lands and more men jump out, headed for the church.  
Inside, Hunt and his men are struggling to defend themselves, blinded by the smoke and severely outnumbered. As the corporal turns to one of his men to give him instructions, a single bullet rips through the man's neck and Hunt dives to the ground, firing wildly in the direction of the shot. He hears a scream and gets up...  
By now, Tony and Goodrich are inside where they liaise with the rest of the field team. The mercenaries have been cornered. Tony reminds the agents that he wants them alive so they can get Dean's location. The men nod and move off......  
Meanwhile, the agent hit by Hunt just seconds ago is led clutching his wound on the floor. Another moves in to grab him but is forced back by mercenary gunfire. He stays low and attempts to keep the enemy soldiers at bay just as Hunt pops up from behind cover and shoots him dead. The man drops to the ground and Hunt rushes forward for the wounded agent, hearing his mercenaries start to go down behind him....  
The injured man tries to get out his sidearm but Hunt kicks it away and drags him to his feet, seconds before Goodrich shoots him in the arm. Hunt drops the agent screaming and tries to turn and shoot, but Goodrich moves fast and hits him with the butt of his gun. He kicks the weapon from Hunt's hands and radios Tony as the last two mercenaries surrender to the agents, realising it's over....  
  
1:20  
  
Over at Diaz's place, Baker performs a radio check with his agents who have set up a surveillance post in the building opposite the apartment. He lets them know that Bauer should be there soon. The cops are getting restless, but Baker calms them down, so far there's been no activity inside. They still have time, these people are surrounded, there's no way they could slip past them....  
In the apartment, Raul checks with one of his men that they are ready to go and then looks to Diaz who is still acting a little shaky. Raul orders him to stay focused to which Diaz grows hostile, claiming that he has no right to talk to him like that, Raul is just an errand boy for Gutierrez. Raul approaches as if to attack him, but one of his men reminds him of the task at hand and he calms down: "Let's go." They place the CD in a small case and exit the apartment...  
As they make for the stairs, Raul's phone rings. It is Gutierrez. He wants to know if they've got hold of his brother since he last called, to which Raul can only reply that they haven't. Gutierrez knows he would have contacted them by now. They must assume he is either dead or captured, and if so, CTU could be on to them. Raul assures him they are taking precautions. Gutierrez hangs up, struggling to come to terms with the apparent loss of his brother....  
  
1:21  
  
Back outside, Jack pulls up alongside the other vehicles in the housing estate, and approaches Baker. No sooner has he arrived, when one of the surveillance team spots two civilians heading towards the apartment. He alerts Baker and Jack who watch them cross the street. Unknown to them, these men are part of the remaining militia who contacted Lawrence earlier. As they make their way over the road, a silver car pulls into the underground parking garage adjacent to the apartment. Jack orders the agents to get an ID on the two men, as well as the vehicle that just arrived...  
Raul and his people, along with Diaz, have now reached the lobby. Raul stops them and hands the case over to his two men. He confirms that they know what to do and then watches them head back toward the stairs. Diaz asks if Raul is sure about this and he says he is. They will drive to an address approximately 10 miles from here where they have a vehicle waiting to collect them, from there they can ensure no-one is following them. Once that's done, they will meet up with the two he just sent off, in order to pick up the files. Diaz is wary of the plan but knows there is not much else they can do. He and Raul head for the door just as the militia enter. The lead man, Garrett, instantly recognises Raul....  
Back up on the first floor, a middle aged business man is just leaving his apartment when Raul's two men with the case rush him and hold him at gunpoint. He is terrified....  
In the lobby, the militia and Raul move past each other when, suddenly, Garrett spins and plunges a knife deep into his back! The other soldier pulls out a silenced pistol and grabs Diaz. Garrett covers Raul's mouth as he struggles against his attacker. The militia drag the men further back into the building, away from the entrance....  
Across the street, one agent thinks he has seen something going on just inside the lobby. He uses his surveillance camera to zoom in on the entrance, where they briefly catch sight of the struggle taking place between the four men. He immediately radios Jack and Baker who order them to storm the building....  
Raul falls to the floor, dead, as Garrett frantically goes through his pockets. Nothing. He and the other soldier question Diaz but he claims they are too late, the files are gone. Garrett demands to know where the other two men are, when his accomplice spots CTU making their way towards them. They have to go now. Garrett coldly shoots Diaz dead and runs off, contacting the other three members of the militia via his handheld radio. They are waiting for him in the parking garage, inside the silver car that Baker spotted earlier. He tells them that the files are gone and that they must leave now, CTU is onto them! Garrett and the other man reach the parking level stairs as Jack, Baker and the other agents enter the building to find the bodies of Raul and Diaz before them....  
In the garage, the men in the silver car spot something over in the corner. Raul's two men are busy forcing the business man at gunpoint into the driver's seat of his Mercedes 4x4. They are holding a small case. The militia jump out and open fire on the car. The two men are surprised by the sudden gunshots, and barely have time to react. One of them goes down as the other, case in hand, leaps into the back of the Mercedes and slams the door. The business-man floors it. The militia halt their pursuit when Garrett bursts into the garage, screaming that CTU is right behind them!  
Outside, the Mercedes carefully pulls up to the parking garage exit, where CTU teams are patrolling. The business-man rolls down his window as instructed and the agents tell him to get out of there, having quickly scanned the interior of his vehicle. They fail to notice Raul's man hidden under a rug in the back on the floor, his gun aimed at the driver. The business-man drives off.....  
The men in the silver car make for the exit as Jack and Baker storm into the garage through a door ahead of them. The militia swerve to avoid them, and crash into a parked car. Jack and the agents advance, while Garrett and his accomplice secretly leave through a fire exit at the other end of the parking structure.....  
  
1:23  
  
The two terrorists and Dean, are waiting with the other mercenaries in a small bungalow near to the arranged meeting point at the dockyard. The house looks unused, plastic sheets still covering what little furniture there is. Gutierrez does not look happy, he continues to contemplate the death of his brother. Dean approaches and asks when his people will be here. At first, Gutierrez does not respond, showing almost no reaction to Dean's presence. This distresses Humser somewhat, as Dean repeats the question. Finally, Gutierrez looks up, saying his people will arrive in around about 15 minutes. Slater wants to go over the details of the swap once again which clearly frustrates the terrorist. Humser tells him to watch what he is doing and Gutierrez shoots him a look, silencing him instantly. Then, he looks to Dean, deciding to do as he is asked. He confirms that he will be picked up by his people and taken to a safe location. Humser will stay with the mercenaries as insurance, while one of Dean's men will go with Gutierrez in order to monitor his activities, and report back to Slater. Once safe, Gutierrez will call Humser to confirm that the money is in their account, and only then will he give his contact the ok to hand over the files. After the exchange, Dean will leave with Humser to take care of the bombing. Slater nods and leaves to talk with his men.....  
Once he is in the other room, Humser marches over to Gutierrez and tells him to pull himself together, he is getting a little pissed off with his partner's behaviour as of late. Gutierrez does not like this and tells his friend to shut up, this operation is just as much his as it is Humser's, and besides, he is not the one who's brother has just been killed. Humser is taken aback by this and Gutierrez outlines his belief that Jack has killed Alvaro. Humser is silent for a moment, and tries to express his sorrow, but Gutierrez is not interested. He reminds his partner that two of their allies are now dead because of their dealings with the mercenaries, and that is something he is not about to let slide. As Gutierrez goes to sit down, Humser can sense he is planning something, and warns him that whatever it is he had better not go through with it, but Gutierrez coldly informs him that he is not his boss. Humser believes he is letting Alvaro's death cloud his judgment, and that is something that could jeopardise everything. He should just forget his brother. With that, Gutierrez rushes his partner and slams him backwards into the wall. Dean hears the commotion and tries to pull Gutierrez off, but not before he has told his partner that if he mentions his brother again, he will kill him. Humser is clearly frightened by this but tries not to show it. Dean orders the two men to cool it, enough has gone wrong already, they cannot afford any more mistakes. Gutierrez steps into the other room to cool off.....  
  
1:25:42 1:25:43 1:25:44.....  
  
1:29:35 1:29:36 1:29:37 1:29:38....  
  
At the apartment block, the bodies of Raul and Diaz are loaded into body-bags to be carried away, whilst forensics sweep the area. The LAPD has cordoned off the building and other agents have gained access to Diaz's apartment. They are conducting a search now. Jack and Baker meanwhile, are reviewing the CCTV footage from the lobby, inside the security office. They watch in horror as Garrett and his accomplice assault Raul. Jack orders pictures of the assailants to be sent over to CTU so they can make a start on identifying them, as well as the two men who were with Raul moments before. Jack's guessing that whatever was in the case he gave them, has something to do with the terrorist's deal with Slater. Another of Baker's men then pulls up the footage from the parking garage onto the monitor, alerting them that it shows Raul's people forcing the businessman into his vehicle, before one of them is promptly shot. The silver car makes to pursue them right before CTU arrives. Jack orders an APB to be put out on the Mercedes right away, if he's right, it'll be going straight towards Slater. The agent informs him that they are already out looking for it. He then shows Jack that Garrett and his accomplice can be seen on-camera exiting the structure through the rear fire exit. Jack asks Baker how the search is going and he is told that they are currently attempting to lockdown a 10 block radius around the building, hoping to corner Garrett. They have also ordered satellite pictures of the area, taken around the time of the attack. Jack tells him to continue and asks if they've had any luck with the men they arrested in the garage. Apparently, they are refusing to talk. Jack is about to talk to them himself, when he receives a call from Russell on his cellphone.  
Jack answers, and is told that Alex has escaped from the mercenaries and is on his way back to CTU as they speak. He is greatly relieved. Russell continues to say that he was able to give them the mercenaries' location and Tony, along with Agent Goodrich's team, were able to get there before they could escape. 10 hostiles were taken out in the operation, and they made 3 arrests. Unfortunately though, 4 CTU agents were also killed, and Dean had already left, along with the terrorists. They are preparing to question the remaining suspects now. As expected, Chappelle is not happy about the high amount of casualties so far, and he and Hammond have been conferring frequently in the last few minutes. It may not be long before he attempts to take over the op. Jack says that right now they are just going to have to cross that bridge when they come to it, and updates Russell on everything that has happened over at the apartment block. Diaz and Raul are both dead, and their attackers are on the run. Their only lead so far is the vehicle that Raul's last man escaped in. Jack outlines his belief that the case he was carrying contains the key to this whole thing.  
He then asks how much progress they've made with the phone triangulation, and Russell admits that since Alex's call they've had a lot to deal with, he has only just got back to it. Its current position appears to be stationary at an address a few miles north of the apartment block. Jack takes it down and gives Russell his thanks before hanging up. As he gives Baker Russell's information, one of the agents enters the office with a woman he says is the wife of the businessman Raul's men took hostage. She is distraught at what has happened and Jack calms her down. She is eventually able to tell him that they had a tracker placed in their car for security purposes, and gives him the number of the security company who installed it. Jack thanks her and orders Baker to get them on the phone immediately. As he does, the agent who showed them the surveillance video, informs them that the Mercedes was seen driving onto the freeway about 5 minutes ago. They were heading north...in the same direction as the address Russell gave to Jack. He immediately tells Baker he is heading over there and heads outside, telling him to call as soon as the security company have come through with a location on the car. Baker insists he is going with him......  
  
1:32  
  
Russell is busy informing Michelle of Jack's call when he spots Milo entering CTU. He heads over to him and introduces himself. Milo asks what they need him to do and Russell describes what's been happening in as much detail as he can. They were tracking a relatively new terrorist group with operations set up inside the US, and discovered that these men were working with a mercenary group, headed up by an ex-special forces man named Dean Slater. A short while ago, Agent Almeida raided the suspected hideout of a militia believed to be in cahoots with Dean, and whilst there, they seized a series of computer files which IT has so far been unable to decrypt. CTU is hoping he can help. Milo assures Russell he will do what he can and is lead through to the IT room where two technicians are still working on the data.  
Meanwhile, Michelle is on the phone with Tony who has just left the old church and is on his way back to CTU. She checks that he is okay to which he replies that he is fine. He asks about Jack and she says he just called in, he's currently following up on a lead he believes will lead right to Slater. Tony thanks her and says he'll be there in around 15 minutes.....  
  
1:33. Washington D.C.  
  
The President is on the line with General Bowden, demanding an update on the search. The General is regretful, but is unable to tell him much more than he already knows, they have little to go on. Palmer demands to be called as soon as they do and Bowden promises that he will be. He hangs up as Wayne enters his office. He informs him that he just found out that the Los Angeles Counter Terrorist Unit recently raided an address given to them by the CIA, who had been tracking a militia group connected to Gutierrez. It appears they had been watching him. Wayne isn't aware of all the details but it seems that CTU has been following Gutierrez's group for a while now. For the last few months, two of their agents, Jack Bauer and Alex Wilford, have been working undercover with him. Palmer realises that these were the terrorists Tony Almeida was talking about when he called this morning. He tells Wayne to get CTU on the line as soon as possible, he wants to set up a conference call in the next few minutes. The President is determined to find out everything they know.....  
  
1:34  
  
Alex pulls up outside the loading bay at CTU, as Russell, accompanied by two other agents, arrives to meet him. Alex gets out and drags the mercenary from the back, he is starting to stir. Russell orders his men to take the prisoner inside and approaches Alex, asking him again if he is ok, he looks like shit. Alex insists that he is fine and wants to be brought up to speed on everything. He is keen to know if they made it to the mercenaries in time and Russell says they did. They lost some agents in the process but they have 3 of the soldiers in custody being sent over now. Alex wants to question them when they arrive but Russell tells him that Chappelle is unlikely to authorise that, he does not want Alex to make this thing personal. Alex is annoyed by this, saying his only goal is to stop these people. Russell understands, but is aware that that is not how Chappelle will see it. Alex asks about Jack, and is told that he is closing in on Slater. After Alex's capture, he went to see Gutierrez's brother to try and ascertain what had happened, but his cover had already been broken and Alvaro turned on him. Luckily, Jack escaped, but Gutierrez's brother was badly injured in a car accident before he could question him. He managed to locate Alvaro's people but they were killed a few minutes ago by some, as of yet, unidentified attackers. Only one man escaped and Jack is on his trail now, as he believes he is headed to meet with Dean. Another high priority lead they have been working on is a series of encoded files they seized from the militia group Tony tracked down that morning. Milo is trying to unravel the data now.  
As Alex tries to take all this in, Chappelle exits the building and tells Alex he wants him over in medical now to get checked out. Alex insists he is fine but Ryan is having none of it. This frustrates Alex, who insists that he wants to get back into the investigation as soon as possible. Chappelle believes he is unfit for duty after everything that has happened, but Alex replies by saying that not only does he know Dean very well, but also that he has been working on this op for months. It would be a mistake to discard him now. Chappelle considers this and agrees to think it over, but only if medical clears him. Alex gives in and heads inside, along with Russell. Just then, Michelle joins them and tells Chappelle that Palmer's office is on the line. It's urgent......  
  
1:36  
  
Dean, still in the bungalow, is on the phone with Paul, updating him with everything that has happened. Paul is understandably distressed, the men they both work for made it clear that there was no margin for error on this job, but Dean assures him it can still happen. They will get the files and the hospital will be destroyed on time. Paul tells him that it better be and asks about the terrorists. Dean says that Humser is cooperating but Gutierrez may be a problem. He is not keen to let him go. Paul says it is too late to do anything about it now, but it shouldn't matter. The terrorists need them for the bombing, they have no choice but to cooperate. However, if anything does go wrong, he will be held accountable. Dean hangs up as a car pulls up outside. It is Gutierrez's men. Gutierrez makes to leave and says he will call Humser in 15 minutes to verify the money transfer. Then Dean will get the files. Dean sends one of his men with the terrorists as agreed, and together they leave. Humser watches them go.....  
Gutierrez and his men drive off as he asks for an update. They say they just spoke to one of Raul's people who told them that Raul and Diaz were killed by a group of men at the apartment building. They were trying to obtain the files. This shocks Gutierrez and he asks where the man is now. He is told that he's en route to the meeting point, files in hand. Gutierrez turns to the mercenary in the back of the car and accuses him of ambushing Raul, in an effort to gain the files. He believes that their plan was to do this and then kill the terrorists once they had what they wanted. The mercenary nervously denies it when suddenly Gutierrez shoots him in the head! Blood splatters over the men in the back who are stunned by what just happened! The driver shouts at Gutierrez, Dean will be expecting that man to call him regularly. Gutierrez simply tells him it does not matter. He has other plans. He then turns to the men in the back and orders them to scan the dead body, he suspects Dean will have placed a tracking device somewhere on his person, they need to get rid of it.  
Back at the house, Dean watches on a computer screen as a red icon moves slowy through a digital map of the LA streets. The tracker is working. He quickly switches off the monitor when Humser enters the room. Slater tells him it is time to go and the mercenaries leave to go to the meeting point.....  
  
Elsewhere, the man in the Mercedes orders the businessman to pull over in an alley. There, some more of Gutierrez's men are waiting to pick him up, along with the files. Raul's henchman thanks the businessman for the ride, and coldly shoots him dead! He then gets into the other vehicle, as the men who were waiting for him, set fire to the Mercedes.....  
  
1:38:46 1:38:47 1:38:48......  
  
1:42:29 1:42:30 1:42:31 1:42:32......  
  
Chappelle and his staff, including Michelle, assemble in the conference room, preparing for the brief with the President. Michelle confers with Tony over the phone, who confirms he is set up and ready to go inside the remote van, in which he is currently travelling. From there, he will be able to watch and contribute to the briefing through the small video screen in front of him. He aligns the camera connected to it so that the staff at CTU, and the President, will be able to see and hear him.  
While they prepare, the medics continue to check Alex, confirming that he has sustained no major injuries. He has a couple of bruised ribs, some nasty cuts, and he may suffer a little due to the lasting effect of the chemicals Lawrence injected into him, but that's it. As they patch him up, Russell enters to let him know they are ready to go in the conference room. Alex stops the medics, saying he will be fine, and follows Russell.  
Back in the conference room, Chappelle takes his seat as the large video screen adorning the wall in front of him switches on. On it, they are able to see both Wayne and the President, who are waiting to talk to them direct from Washington. A smaller screen also displays an image of Tony from inside the van. Russell enters and sits in front of his laptop, along with Alex and Milo. The briefing begins:  
  
The President begins by explaining that he has called this briefing because it appears that one of CTU's investigations may directly coincide with a matter of extreme importance to national security. He outlines what General Bowden explained to him earlier, that a series of encoded files, containing the names and whereabouts of more than 200 agents working undercover both here and abroad, was stolen from the CIA base in Langley. The man responsible was later ambushed in Colombia, where he had been tracked to. It was believed that during the ambush, carried out by a group of Colombian rebels looking for American hostages, the files were destroyed. However, just over an hour ago, it came to his attention that this was not in fact the truth. The truth is far more disturbing. The rebels had captured, and later killed, the man with the files. All the evidence suggests that this group, led by a man named Gutierrez, is now in possession of those files. Gutierrez is currently believed to be in Los Angeles, where he has established contact with a foreign terrorist cell whose followers are based all over the world. Needless to say, the consequences if these people were to get ahold of the files, would be devastating. Now, it is Palmer's understanding that CTU has been working on bringing down this particular cell for a while now, and that the information they have collated in that time, may be critical to getting these files back. He wants everything they have now. First he turns to Tony, knowing that he is the primary agent in charge, and asks him to elaborate on what he told him over the phone earlier in the day.  
Tony explains that, as he said earlier, the terrorists, including Gutierrez, have made some kind of deal with a group of mercenaries led by Dean Slater, a man who used to work with Jack. Agents Bauer and Wilford were undercover with the terrorists up until about 11:20 this morning when Dean compromised Bauer's cover. CTU was forced to move in but unfortunately, Slater and his men escaped. Agent Wilford was taken hostage and has since escaped. A strike team was dispatched to his captor's location but Dean had already left. They are working to track him and his men down now. They have several of the mercenaries in custody, who are being interrogated as they speak, and Jack Bauer is currently tracking a man they believe is on his way to meet with Slater. Perhaps these files could shed some light on the deal they have made with the terrorists. Palmer asks why Dean could possibly want them, as he too is American, but Alex tells him that he believes Dean is simply taking orders from someone else. He overheard a conversation he had with one of his subordinates, during which they mentioned an 'employer'. The President is curious as to whether the terrorists know what they have and Tony admits that having only just found out himself it is difficult to speculate. Although he believes that if they did they would want to keep it for themselves rather than sell it on. They do not have a history of cooperating with foreign cells, especially American groups, and would be unlikely to do so with this kind of intel, which they would find extremely valuable. The President then suggests that perhaps the terrorists never intended to go through with the deal and Tony realises that this could be the truth. They may simply be using the mercenaries to decrypt the data as it is unlikely they would have the resources to decode such highly encrypted information themselves.  
The President considers this, and then tells the CTU staff that there is something else they need to know. Gutierrez is apparently planning an attack in Los Angeles today. This takes the assembled staff members by surprise. Chappelle asks if the President can elaborate on this at all but he is unable to. Tony then recalls the large amount of explosives they found, in the possession of a militia group allegedly working for Dean. On top of this, Jack had previously told him that he and the terrorists were talking about a 'holy mission' back at the warehouse. It appears Slater's group is involved in this attack, suggesting there dealings with the terrorists run a lot deeper than just those files.  
Milo pipes up at this point, telling the President that he is currently attempting to decrypt a series of files recovered from the militia's base. This may tell them more about the supposed attack, as he has already uncovered the mention of explosives. Chappelle says he will assign more IT people to help. It is then that Russell points out that if they can so heavily encrypt such large files, it is entirely plausible that they can read them too.  
The President tells CTU to get ahold of General Bowden and the CIA, as they will be able to shed some more light on what has been happening. Tony mentions that he has already made contact with agents of the CIA, they were the ones who gave him the address of the militia hideout earlier in the day. Wayne says he will contact the director to find out more about what they know. Michelle also asks him to call the Department of Defense, as so far they've been quite evasive when CTU has tried to glean information on Slater. Palmer promises to take care of it. He thanks CTU for their cooperation and asks to be updated every few minutes on their most promising leads. Chappelle promises to do so. Russell will send over everything they have to Palmer's office for analysis. Chappelle finishes by assuring Palmer that they will get the files back. Palmer thanks him again and ends the briefing.  
  
The staff begin to file out and Russell tells Milo he will get him all the resources he needs right away. He'll call the off-duty technicians now to come in and help. Chappelle announces that finding these people along with the files is now priority one, and orders Russell to send more men out into the field to help Jack. Russell leaves to take care of it. Ryan then turns to Michelle and asks her to call Division and get some more manpower working on this thing. This operation is now a lot bigger than anything they can handle alone. Michelle disagrees, the more people they bring in, the more risk there is of this intelligence getting out. It cannot be public knowledge that this kind of data is in enemy hands. However, Chappelle tells her the subject is not up for discussion. He wants to make sure every base is covered and is confident that there will be no leaks. He leaves to call Hammond.  
On his way out, he is cornered by Alex, who demands that he be given command authority over the field teams Russell is assigning to help Jack. Chappelle points out that he hasn't even cleared him for duty yet, and Alex calmly tells him to do it. No-one has more experience with, and knowledge of these people, than him and Jack. He could be a very valuable asset. He then tells Chappelle that he is sure the President would want him to do everything he can. Chappelle thinks about this, and asks what medical had to say. Alex replies that he is fine, just some cuts and bruises. Ryan tells him he knows that the mercenaries used drugs on him, and is well aware that these could have a lasting effect which could hinder Alex's work. Alex asks him again to let him back. Finally, Chappelle agrees, and Alex leaves to coordinate with the field teams.....  
  
1:45  
  
As Chappelle heads back up to his office to call Division, Tony enters CTU and greets Michelle. She is happy to see him again but does not want to show any affection in front of the other agents. He asks her what Chappelle is doing and she informs him that he is assigning more bodies from Division. Tony agrees that this could be a mistake but there is nothing they can do now. She then tells him that Russell is sending another field unit to help Jack, and Tony asks to be put in touch with him. She goes to take care of it as Russell finishes on the phone. He greets Tony, who asks for an update on the lead Jack is currently following. Russell brings up the triangulation data on his screen and briefs Tony. Michelle then comes over to tell them that Jack is waiting on line 2. Tony picks up Russell's phone and speaks to Jack, who is on the way to the address Russell gave him, along with agent Baker...  
  
1:46  
  
Tony tells Jack that he is back at CTU and that they have just finished a conference call with the President. He tells Jack about the files believed to be in Gutierrez's possession and that he thinks this is central to the deal with Slater. Jack concludes that the man he is chasing could have what they are looking for in the case he is carrying, making it a lot more likely that he is meeting with Dean. Tony tells him that a field team is en route, and Jack asks them to confirm the address he was given earlier. It is now all he has to go on. They found the car they were tracking, the driver was dead and it had been set alight. Russell tells Jack that the phone has now moved. It's new location is not far from the address, it is now at an old industrial dockyard close by. Jack realises this is a good place for a deal as there is a lot of places to conceal men and it is private. The meeting must be going down now. Tony tells him to wait for back-up but Jack says there is no time, they don't even know if this is the right location yet. He hangs up.....  
  
1:48  
  
Alex heads over to Russell's desk, an equipment bag slung over his shoulder, to say he is leaving to liaise with the field team now. Russell gives him the location of the phone Jack is tracking and tells him that Jack will be there in around 6 or 7 minutes. It seems almost definite this is the location of the files, and Jack will verify once he's on sight. Alex must not go in once he's arrived until Jack can confirm the files are there. Alex agrees and leaves......  
  
1:49  
  
Gutierrez's men, who set fire to the Mercedes, including the one with the files, pull into the dockyard. The man with the files, who Gutierrez identifies as Humberto, calls his boss and tells him they are at the meeting point. Gutierrez is pleased and hangs up.  
Meanwhile, unseen to the new arrivals, snipers sent by Dean begin to assemble on the surrounding rooftops......  
  
1:49:41 1:49:42 1:49:43.......  
  
1:53:28 1:53:29 1:53:30 1:53:31......  
  
At the dockyard where the meeting is due to take place, Dean and Humser are waiting in the site office along with the other mercenaries. One of them is sat at the desk with a laptop in front of him, and Humser watches as he initiates the transfer of funds into his account. He is pleased and looks to Slater, asking for confirmation that there will be no further interruptions with the bombing. He is aware that a large portion of the explosives Dean smuggled in for this mission has been seized by CTU. Slater says he has spoken to a few of his contacts, and they assure him that the bombing can still go ahead. He has acquired the name of an ex-US forces soldier who specialises in the supply of explosives and firearms to anyone who can afford it. He has access to a lot of these kinds of weapons, and has already made a small fortune from it. He has many clients all over the country. Dean's people have made contact with this man and will collect the explosives in around about an hour's time. Humser is pleased, and looks back to see how the transfer is doing, it is 90% complete. He smiles....  
Dean heads over to one of his men and whispers in his ear, asking where Gutierrez is now. He is told that they have locked onto the tracker's signal, and that it has stopped moving at an address not far from them. A team is headed over there now. Slater smiles, as soon as they have the files, the team is to move in and take out Gutierrez. He will deal with Humser himself. The mercenary nods in agreement.....  
Meanwhile, Gutierrez, along with several other men, is pacing about nervously inside the backroom of a very seedy nightclub which looks as if it's been closed for a while. The front is boarded up and it is stained with graffiti. Gutierrez asks his men if they shed the tracker successfully and they assure him it was taken care of. Just then, another of them tells Gutierrez that they have spotted several of the mercenaries closing in on the address where they hid the device. Looks like he was right. The man who had been driving the car earlier, Pedro, checks his watch. It is time to call Humser. Gutierrez takes out a cellphone and dials.....  
Back at the dockyard, Slater's cell rings and he passes it to Humser straight away, who answers. Gutierrez greets him and is told that the funds are in place, all he has to do now is to hand over the files. Gutierrez asks to be put back on with Slater. Dean takes the phone and listens carefully. The terrorist tells him that the files are on a CD in the back of a truck, parked near to the site office they are currently standing in. It is opposite warehouse number D5. Dean thanks him and enforces that they will not go through with the bombing until the contents of the files has been verified. He hangs up. Dean tells his men where to go and then radios one of the shooters assembled on the rooftops. He orders him to check out the truck right away. The man heads off to do so....  
Slater, along with Humser and the mercenaries, makes his way out of the office into the dockyard. He heads for the truck's supposed location. As they go, the shooter spots the truck and checks it out using the telescopic lens on his rifle. He confirms over the radio that the case is in the back.....  
  
1:55  
  
Unseen to the men, Jack and Baker cautiously make their way through the dockyard, using the many buildings as cover. Eventually Jack, taking cover behind a warehouse, spots Dean and his men heading for the parked vehicle. He can see that Humser is with him. Baker asks if that's him and Jack confirms it is. He takes out his phone and dials....  
  
Counter Terrorist Unit:  
  
Tony is just finishing a call with Alex, who is currently inside the CTU chopper, and tells him to hurry. As he hangs up, Michelle receives a call from Jack at her station. She puts it on speaker, and alerts both Tony and Chappelle straight away. Jack confirms for them that he is at the dockyard and that both Slater and Humser are on-site. This is it. Chappelle orders him to stay put and wait for back-up. Jack asks how soon it will get there, and Tony tells him that the field team will arrive in around 10 minutes. He just got off the phone with Alex who has command authority. Jack insists that in that time this whole thing will be over, they have to move now. If they lose this window it will be impossible to catch these people. They cannot be allowed to get their hands on those files. Tony stresses that he should keep an eye on the men but under no circumstances is he to make a move. He has to wait for Alex. Jack tells the people listening in that that is something he can't promise, and with that, hangs up. Baker asks what they are supposed to do now and Jack looks at him solemnly: "I don't know...."  
  
1:56  
  
Dean stops his men a few metres away from the truck, as Jack and Baker move in.... Slater radios the shooters and gets them to confirm that the area is clear. They assure him it is, they have the place covered. He is still cautious however, and takes out his phone....  
Inside the nightclub, Gutierrez answers and, frustrated, asks what the mercenary wants. Dean demands to be put on with the man he left him with, but Gutierrez outright refuses. He says that he is giving him what he wants and that is all he need worry about now. Slater is adamant that until he speaks to the man, he is not doing anything. Gutierrez pauses, before saying that he knows they were tracking him through a transponder hidden on the soldier, and that he had the man restrained and taken elsewhere so he could not lead Slater to them. Gutierrez makes it clear that he is not a fool. The man will be released once this is over. Dean grows angry at this, and so does the terrorist, Dean has no right to be hostile, he was the first to betray their deal. Slater again asserts that he will not go anywhere until he has spoken to his man. Gutierrez calmly says that there has been enough small talk, he has allowed Dean to take the upper hand far too may times already and is not about to do so again. He wants the bombing to go forward, Dean wants the files, they should both just take what they want and that will be the end of it. Gutierrez then adds that if he doesn't want the files anymore he will quite happily have them back. The terrorist then hangs up, much to Dean's surprise. Pedro asks him what the hell he is doing, he cannot go up against these people alone, but Gutierrez orders him to shut up, or he will join the mercenary. He then takes out a radio and lifts it to his mouth: "Humberto, are you ready?" "Yes sir."  
At the dockyard, Dean is considering what to do. Finally, he looks to Humser, insinuating that he is involved in whatever it is his partner is planning. Humser denies this fervently, saying he would not do anything to jeopardise this deal. Slater pulls a gun, and for a moment looks as if he will shoot the terrorist....but decides against it.  
Jack and Baker watch from the shadows, they can see there is tension.  
  
Making a decision, Dean orders Humser to go and collect the files himself. He cocks his gun, underlining that the terrorist has no other choice but to comply. Nervously, he does so.. As he goes, Slater turns to his men and tells them to radio the team who have located the tracker. They must be told to be ready to move in on his signal.....  
  
Jack and Baker continue to watch as Humser heads for the truck.....  
  
Following Dean's instructions from above, the shooters line the terrorist up in their sights, still keeping an eye out on the surrounding area....  
  
1:58  
  
Humser reaches the truck and nervously looks at the case, then back to Slater. Inside the nightclub, Gutierrez orders Pedro to give him a visual, and he turns to his computer. He loads up the live video feed being transmitted from a camera in the back of the pick-up truck at the dockyard: It shows Humser slowly leaning over to collect the case... Gutierrez smiles, before removing a small device from his pocket. Pedro wanders what he is up to, but does not have to wait long to find out.....Gutierrez presses a button on the side of the device and over at the dockyard, the truck erupts in a ball of flame, enveloping Humser instantly! Dean and the others dive for cover as Jack and Baker recoil in shock. Slater is pissed: "Gutierrez you sonofabitch!" Pedro is stunned!  
In the confusion, Humberto makes his move, sneaking up on the shooter atop the roof, and slitting his throat! He takes the man's weapon and pulls out a radio: "I'm in position. Everybody be ready!"  
As the mercenaries begin to stand, Humberto breaks cover and opens fire. Two men are taken out in seconds as the rest of them, including Dean, go for cover. The other shooters realise what has happened and turn their weapons towards Humberto. He is forced to duck by the hail of bullets... Back on the ground, the large metal door of warehouse D5 slides open, and the rest of Gutierrez's men rush out. They are all armed with automatic weapons....  
Jack looks to Baker and tells him they have to move now. They head toward the chaos, guns at the ready....  
In the nightclub, Gutierrez speaks to Humberto over the radio as he continues to avoid the shooter's gunfire. The terrorist orders him to ensure that none of the mercenaries are left alive......  
At the dockyard, Dean and the others attempt to return fire, picking off one of Gutierrez's men. Slater tells the soldier next to him to get on his radio and tell the backup teams to move in with the exit vehicles. They have to get out now. The mercenary ducks behind a set of crates and radios the men who are assembled just outside the perimeter of the dockyard. They have heard the commotion and demand to know what is going on. He tells them that Gutierrez has double-crossed them and that they are taking heavy fire. Slater orders his men to pull back and lays down some covering fire as they go for the safety of the buildings. One of them tries to help but is hit in the arm. Slater grabs him and drags him over to the nearest warehouse, taking cover from Gutierrez's men as bullets ricochet off the walls. On the roof, Humberto makes one last ditch effort for freedom and jumps up, raining down on the other shooters with a long burst of gunfire that empties his magazine. They are forced to go for the deck and he drops the rifle, taking out his pistol instead. Humberto runs for the stairs....  
Dean examines the mercenaries' gunshot wound and determines that he will be able to take care of it as soon as they are out of there. He then takes the man's gun, breaks cover, and opens fire on Gutierrez's advancing men, screaming with rage. Two of them are hit and he runs back to the mercenary, helping him up, and heading for safety...  
As the other mercenaries head for the edge of the dockyard, Jack and Baker intercept them, shouting for them to drop their weapons and surrender. Instead, they raise their guns and shoot. Jack and Baker go for cover, returning fire.....  
  
1:59  
  
Gutierrez listens to his radio as one of his men gives him an update. They have taken down three of the mercenaries and have them on the run. However, Slater has a back-up team in place and they will be there soon. Gutierrez urges them on and leaves him to it, placing the radio on the desk in front of him. Pedro looks on in amazement, accusing the terrorist of being insane. Surprisingly, this does not seem to effect Gutierrez, who simply looks back at the man, emotionless. He lifts his cellphone and dials. It rings three times before someone answers. Gutierrez asks the voice on the other end if they have finished making the bomb, they say it will be done soon. In 2 hours time, County General hospital will be no more. Gutierrez smiles, before inquiring about the files. The voice replies that Humberto delivered them as promised. The terrorist says he will be there soon, and hangs up. He tells Pedro that it is time to go......  
  
1:59:57 1:59:58 1:59:59 2:00:00....... 


End file.
